


Emma

by spaceconversii



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Kidnapping, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:27:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23805334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceconversii/pseuds/spaceconversii
Summary: Toffee is given a job, but will he be able to do it?
Relationships: Marco Diaz/Jackie Lynn Thomas, Star Butterfly/Janna Ordonia, Star Butterfly/Marco Diaz
Comments: 5
Kudos: 9





	1. A bump in the night

A wonderful day had come to a close, the kingdom had finished celebrating the birth of their new princess, the heir to the throne and the kingdom. In tradition they celebrated the birth two months after the actual birth as to give people time to prepare. The party went on for two weeks, opposed to the single week most commoners celebrated their birth, it was filled with games, pictures, festivals, music, and theatrical performances. This was the last night of the celebration and the fireworks were just beginning to calm down. People returned to their houses and rooms, to chat with family or go straight to bed, and because everyone was so tired, no one noticed the shadow moving through the night.

☆

"Toffee can do the job, right?"

Toffee nodded, he could do anything, assassinations, kidnappings, ransom-holding. Mostly to middle class people, the stuck up ones, "What will I be doing?"

"Well as you know," a lizard twice the size of Toffee walked toward him, other monsters in the group stepped back slightly and even some visibly shook of fear, "the princess, Star, was born recently, and we all think the Butterflies have had the crown long enough. Now, without an heir, the kingdom will crumble, providing a weak spot and letting us take over with little resistance."

Toffee swallowed, he'd never actually done any royal missions. And was scared to admit it, but sneaking into the castle, getting a baby that is heavily protected, and sneaking out again would prove to be difficult. But he could do it.

"So, Damini, you want me to kidna-"

Damini cut Toffee off with the wave of his hand, "Yes, I want you to kill the princess."

☆

It was dark. The kingdom had been asleep for about three hours, due to the excessive partying, they were all exhausted. Toffee watched from afar as guards around the castle hazily turned and patrolled. The job was easy, he was to use some stolen untraceable scissors, open the portal, get the princess, and go. No one would know. Quicker than lightning, he opened the portal and stepped into the castle, right into the royal bedroom. Toffee could see through the dark, Queen Moon and King River were asleep in their bed, and a few feet away, below a window, was the bassinet. Toffee's heart pounded as he walked closer to the cradle in which the princess lay. There she was, the princess, sound asleep, her rosy cheeks marked with pink hearts and her golden blonde hair already growing over her ears. Quietly, he picked her up, her blanket still wrapped around her, and reached into his back pocket.

"Shi-" he stopped himself, the baby stirred.  
The scissors were gone, had he dropped them?  
Using his emergency button, he called a dragon cycle to silently come to the balcony, he fumbled for the latch to open the window and he couldn't get it open. The plan was falling apart. Then, the princess started to cry, he needed to get out. 

Without thinking, he punched open the window with his free hand, he only had a few seconds to get out. He heard the Queen bolt up, yell "River, the Baby!"

There was a scuffle, Toffee rushed and jumped out the window, down towards the ground. He could hear the cry of the Queen and the magic blasts as he plummeted onto the dragon cycle, which had another pair of scissors in it’s side satchel. Before Queen Moon got to the window, Toffee was gone.

That was close, too close, Toffee thought as he rode toward the dark forest with a baby Star in tow. He went silently to a riverbank and sent the dragon cycle away. Now was the hardest part. He silently walked over to the river, a yawning baby cradled in his arms. Her pink hearts almost blended in with the rosiness of her skin, but a gash ran from right below her left eye and to the middle of her cheek mark, an effect of jumping out a glass window. What could he do? He had to do his job or else, he didn't know. What else does a monster do for a living? He avoided meeting the baby’s eyes and brought out the poisoned baby bottle. It would be fast, easy, painless. Nothing he hadn't done before, right? But this was a baby, and Toffee had morals, all those stories of his mercilessness were either made up or exaggerated. He could do this, he assured himself, be like his older brothers, but better. Make a ripple in history. He brought the baby bottle to Stars lips and her baby hands reached out to grab it. But Toffee made the mistake of meeting her eyes, they were bright blue, piercing, and full of joy. She smiled and giggled at the monster who held her, and Toffee threw the bottle to the ground.  
"What am I thinking, I can't kill a baby."  
But he couldn't necessarily bring her back either.

☆☆☆

Emma woke up to the sound of birds calling. It was her favorite way to wake up. She stumbled out of her bed and ran to put her day clothes on. It was her favorite outfit, for her birthday last year she was gifted bright and colorful cloth, which she made into her dress. Her dress was clean but she noticed the growing pile in the woven basket, she would need to do laundry today. Her bare feet scuffed on the dirt floor as she tiptoed to the kitchen, grabbing a piece of bread and a bowl of cornmeal before heading outside, she let her feet feel the grass and smooth rocks as she walked toward the river. Picking her favorite boulder to sit on, she ate her breakfast quickly. Emma dipped her feet in the water and giggled at the feeling of the cold water on her skin. A few fish swam up and nibbled at her toes and she quickly withdrew them from the water, then placed them back in. She rubbed her feet in the water and splashed her face. Leaning all the way down, she let her short hair touch the water and then she fully doused her head. Emma found it funny that when her hair was wet it almost reached her shoulders, but when it was dry it barely went past her ears. When this was done, washing her bowl was next, she hated this chore the most. But it needed to be done. Bleating from the goats in the backyard told her that he was awake, too. She laughed and ran inside, accidentally leaving her bowl at the riverside.

She snuck up behind him and jumped on his back, almost making him topple over.  
"Guess what day it is, Toffee!"

The lizard laughed and tousled Emma's hair, "It's Monday, correct?"

"Yes.... but it's a special Monday!”

"And why is that? Anything special happening today?" 

"Duh! It's your birthday week now! Since you won't tell me the exact day you were born, i'm just going to celebrate all week!!"

Toffee shook his head and walked into the kitchen, Emma still on his back, "No it's not! You're lying! I would have remembered!"

Emma laughed again, letting go of him and jumping to the ground, "nope I'm pretty 80 percent sure you were born sometime this month 80,000 years ago!"

"Hey!" Toffee whipped around, "I'm not that old!"

"Well then how old are you? You've never told me, Toffee."

"And I never will tell you." Toffee declared, putting his boots on and walking to the front door.

"That's not fair!" Emma ran over to him and looked up with her sparkly blue eyes, "When will I know? When I'm one million years old?"

"Maybe." He pinched her pink cheeks, leaning down and kissing her on her head, "I have to go to work, will you do your chores while I'm gone?" 

Toffee put his breakfast bowl on the counter, turning his back to Emma who twiddled her thumbs, "actually... I wanted to help you on the farm today..."

"Emma not today, I've already told you the farm is dangerous…"

"But it's not! I would be a great help! I can even use magic when no one is looking!"

Toffee turned around, "Emma please, even in the house, don't use your magic." Emma sighed, "Ramona will be here in a bit to watch you while I go to her farm to help, please put the mud on your cheek marks."

Emma looked down in shame as she brushed her light pink hearts that marked her face, "When will you tell me what they're for?"

Toffee sighed before he stepped outside, "When you're old enough, dear."

And with that he was gone. 

"Ugh!" She hated when he left without proper answers.

Emma stomped into the medicine room, her bottle of mud sat on the middle cupboard and she could easily reach it, but she quickly looked around. Pointed her finger at the bottle and made it hover into her hands. She giggled. As she put the mud on her cheeks and let it sit for a while as toffee told her, she sat on the stool and looked at her hands. Why didn't toffee let her use magic? Or go anywhere? Or do anything? She was growing tired of secrets, but she loved Toffee, even though he wasn't her family. A knock sounded at the door. "Ramona!"  
Ramona was the only other Mewman Emma knew so Emma quickly rubbed the mud and checked the mirror, the mud had done a trick of partly covering her marks and while bits of dirt still littered her face she went to the front door.  
Ramona was tall, very tall. Her hair only added onto the height, it was full and brown and stood round her head like a crown. Her skin was very dark and working in the sun all day only added a summery glow. When she smiled it was the biggest smile Emma had ever seen, she liked to joke that Ramona smiled so big that it reached everyone else and they had to smile as well. She had big muscles for working on the farm but she also had a big stomach. Her baby was due any day now. 

"How's my sweet Emma?" She entered the house and promptly sat in a chair that was in the living area of their cottage. 

"Perfect! Did you see Toffee on your way here?" Emma ran to fetch her friend some water, walking for a pregnant lady was difficult. 

"I did indeed, he was looking very happy today, is it not his birthday week?" She began to rummage through her bag.

Emma brought the cup of water to Ramona as she pulled out her knitting, "yes it is. I want to make him something special for this week. He is very old now but he will never tell me how old." 

Ramona laughed big and loud, it was Emma's favorite sound, "Well let's see, I'm only 32, I'm pretty sure Toffee is a year older than me." 

"What?! How can you know?"

"I knew him as a child, we played together a lot. Though my grandparents hated him and swore to never talk to me again if I hung out with him or anyone like him again."

Emma stood up from her place on the floor and walked to grab her own knitting.

"Why is everyone so mean to monsters anyway?" Emma eyed the wall of the room that was a suspiciously different color. Last summer someone had attempted to burn down the house while they were inside, a brick with a note saying "monster scum" was thrown through the window and their pigs were let loose. 

"It goes back centuries, I never understood it myself." Ramona shook her head.

They sat in a knit for a while, chatting about work on the farm, the new baby, gossiping. By early afternoon, Emma had finished knitting a horrid scarf that was messed up in so many places. She threw her needle down and admired Ramonas baby socks she had finished.

"I'll never be as good as you."

"Of course you will Emma, you just need practice!" Ramona heaved herself up from the chair before walking towards the kitchen.

"I wanted to make something special for toffee, he deserves a little birthday celebration when he gets back."

Ramona gasped as she closed the cupboard, a jar of jam in her hand, "I have the perfect idea! Emma!"

Emma stood up, wide eyed and ready for her idea.

"Toffee and I always talked about what delicacy we would eat if we could. He loves strawberry cake. I was only able to sneak him a bite once and he's loved it ever since."

"Where do I get a cake?" Emma pouted, she wasn't allowed to enter the town only a few miles ahead. 

"We make one!" Ramona pulled out a little notebook from her apron pocket, it had all sorts of scribbles and drawings. Emma looked over as she ruffled through the pages, trying to find the specific page. "Aha! There it is!" 

Ramona quickly read over it, nodding and humming as she thought. "The ingredients are easy enough! I know where to find all of these."  
Emma's eyes shone brighter, "do we have to go somewhere?" 

Ramona ruffled the little girl's hair, "I'm going, not you. I know Toffee specifically told me to never let you go into town."

Emma sank back down, she wanted so desperately to go to a real town with stores and people.

Ramona took pity on the girl, she never knew why Toffee was so reluctant to let her anywhere, "Okay you can come too. But bring a Cape and hood, just in case." 

Emma squealed with delight. Practically breaking everything in her path as she ran to get her cape that was hung neatly on her bed. She was beside herself with joy until she turned to see her reflection on a metal plate hanging on the wall. Her heart marks were glowing a bright pink.


	2. Aunt Ramona

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Ramona head off to the village, for the first time in Emma's life, shes going to see a village for herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little short and I apologize for that, I hope you all are staying healthy and happy! Staying home saves lives! <3

No no no no no! Emma thought as she tried desperately to wipe them off, it only made them glow brighter. 

"Emma, are you coming? I don't want to have to leave without you!" 

"Gah! Hang on I'm coming!" She quickly searched for the extra vile of mud she kept in her room and quickly lathered the substance on her cheeks.

Emma cautiously stepped out of her room, avoiding meeting Ramona's eyes. Hoping that she wouldn't notice that Emma's face was dirty, and attempt to clean it.

"Emma, whatever is on your cheeks?" Right away Ramona noticed her dirty face and reached out to Emma while licking her thumb.

Luckily, Emma pulled away just in time. 

"I got stung but two awful bees the other day, and I'm allergic." Emma quickly lied, feeling her face get warm, "Toffee said to put this mud on when it itches."

Ramona hesitated, then smiled and nodded, "it's true there are awful bees out here. Well, we better get moving then. I know a very small town close to here that will take us at least 30 minutes so we better hurry."

As they traveled across the forest paths, Emma skipped and bounced. She was filled with excitement. Toffee and her had taken walks in the forest before, but never too far. He was always scared of something. Which always struck Emma as weird as he was the toughest monster ever, as far as she knew. He told her stories of him going on quests and fighting evil people, he was so brave in those stories. But whenever it came to Emma he double, even triple-checked everything. Always making sure that she was okay. It was starting to get annoying, as she was almost sixteen. She was tired of him treating her like shes so fragile... like she's a baby. Now she was travelling to a village, with people! Like her!

Ramona walked slowly, trying her best not to waddle due to the belly in her way.

Ramona had known Toffee a long time. Since they were kids her parents would let them run in the field and play. They trusted them to not get into any trouble. Ramona’s family was very wealthy. They believed in working hard along with their employees, and so the family all worked on the farm, only Ramona wasn't allowed to work. She was born two and a half months early and became very sick. They weren't sure she would make it to age one, but she fought hard. Her older siblings and her parents treated her like a baby, she hated it but she could never work alongside them. She bruised very easily and would get into coughing fits if she pushed herself too far. As time grew on, Toffee and Ramona became closer and by the time they were eleven, they were each other's best friends. Ramona had struggles with fitting in with other kids, probably because she was such close friends with a monster. But Toffee was like family, he had run away from home after refusing to join the family business at 8, her parents took him in and allowed him to stay. By the time Ramona was eleven, she figured she didn't need those other friends, but she often dreamt of her family moving to a nearby Mewnan and Monster integrated village where she heard it was not uncommon to be friends with a monster. She was tired of the way people treated Toffee and the way they treated her when they found out she was friends with Toffee. However, before her 12th birthday, tragedy struck. She could never erase the event from her memory.

Her and Toffee were in the distant orchard, enjoying the summer treats that grew from their branches as Ramona whined about equality on Mewni. Toffee enjoyed Ramona's views and it was so funny for her to get so worked up over everyday events that he faced and was used to. As Toffee reached out for a pear on a hanging branch from a nearby tree, he heard screaming. The two looked up and saw, with horror, that Ramona's whole family property was in flames.

“Mom! Dad!” Ramona jumped down from the tree and began to run in the direction of the fire, Toffee followed, easily able to run faster than her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the field. 

Her family had owned a large and wealthy farm, many people worked with them and lived in her large house, so when they approached the house people were running out. Ramona saw her favorite maid run out coughing and ran up to meet her. 

“Where… are my...p- parents?” she coughed out between breaths of smoke.

The maid pointed, horrified, at the house, “They went back to get your brothers and the other maids-”

“No!” Ramona ran toward the house and Toffee yelled over the commotion,

“Ramona will get them! You can't go in there!” He pulled her back and started toward the house but it was too late, as he reached the front steps, the roof caved in and he was pushed back. 

“NO MOM! DAD!” 

Toffee cried and hugged Ramona as she screamed, calling out to her family that was trapped in the fire. Ramona’s parents were as much as Toffees parents, better even. And they were gone.

Knights soon overcame the area and surrounded the two, clearly thinking Toffee had started the fire. 

‘Let the girl go! Monster scum!” one knight called out, drawing his sword and pounding it on his shield in a rhythmic pattern. The other knights followed.

“Wait! I didn't do anything!” Toffee was scared, he was almost 13 and he had lost an important part of his family.

“Let her go!”

Ramona pulled away from him and stepped between their obvious leader and her friend, “Stop it! He didn't do anything!”

Suddenly she was yanked into the air by a strong arm and Toffee reached out to save her, grabbing her arm and attempting to pull her back to him, Ramona watched, terrified, as the knight that held her pulled out his sword and hit Toffee in the head with the hilt, knocking him unconscious. She cried out, trying to tell them that he meant no harm, but the knights surrounded him and tied him up, as the knight that held her went away from the scene.

Ramona was brought to the village as an orphan, her only living relatives were distant and she was sent to them to be raised. They were cruel people and worked hard despite her limitations, she had to hide her sprained bones and bruises to avoid being sent away again. They had threatened that if she got hurt more, they would discard her like a horse with a broken leg. She became strong, independent, carefree, and still adamant on her view of monsters. Eventually, Ramona had found herself a man who shared her views and they decided to start their own farm, offering jobs to unemployed monsters. It was slow going. 

She was making her way home after buying some collections of fabric from town when she heard it... screaming. It reminded her so painfully of that summer day. Ramona knew there was a town nearby that was Monster/Mewman integrated and others tended not to agree with them. Suddenly, smoke billowed into the air and Ramona found herself running toward the village. When she arrived, it was in flames. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw knights from the kingdom, running away with burnt torches in hand. She knew the princess had only gone missing a week or two prior, but chances were, and she hated to admit it, the princess was dead. Plenty of monsters had it out for the royal family. It wouldn't be hard to find a bunch of monsters who wished the family harm, but it still wasn't right. It also wasn't right to imprison or kill every monster in their sight. 

It was then that Ramona ran into him, he was looking completely flushed from running and panicked. Ramona gasped, “Toffee!”

“Please! I have to get to her because she's still there!” He yelled, hardly noticing her.

“Who?” She followed him to the house at the end of the village, it was completely in flames, most of the villagers had fled by then but Ramona could hear a faint crying. It came from a baby.

“Emma!” Toffee yelled, ignoring Ramona again and running straight into the fire.

Ramona could only watch as he ran in, this time he reached inside fast enough, and she waited. It felt like an eternity had passed. Should she go in and help him? Time had no meaning and everything felt as slow as honey pouring from the comb. Where was he? She needed to help. She ran towards the door. Finally, Ramona could hear the sounds of coughing, and Toffee's silhouette could be seen in the fire. He tumbled out, a bundle in his arms and Ramona helped carry him away from all the flames. As soon as they both caught their breath, Ramona saw her. She was a Mewman baby, with black hair, or maybe that was from soot and ash, it smudged across her face and completely covered her rosy cheeks, her piercing blue eyes looked at Ramona thoughtfully, and she laughed.

Toffee finally realized who was sitting next to him and he gasped loudly, “Ramona!”

They couldn't hold back the tears as they embraced. They never thought they could see each other again. Yet here they were. 

When they had finished embracing and wiping away embarrassing tears, Ramona laughed and gestured to the child between them, “Is she yours? She's beautiful.”

“No,” Toffee sighed, coughing soot between breaths, “but thank you, her parents were killed by a rampage of monsters, I was passing through and they handed me her through a window before they were dragged outside.”

It felt bad to lie to his childhood friend, but he couldn't tell her the truth, the truth that he had gone to stereotypical monster ways of kidnapping and stealing. The whole reason for the village raids and the kingdom being in such distress. He had been careless this time, renting a room in an Inn, keeping Emma hidden of course, but he always tried to be out of the way of monsters and Mewmans alike, he couldn't risk it. If he was found out to be the kidnapper of Princess Star, he would be sentenced to death, or the monsters would kill him, either way, didn't matter because then Princess Star would return to the kingdom, and this time Toffees 'friends’ would find someone more capable to kill her than he was.

“Poor dear… what are you going to do with her?”

Toffee told the truth this time, “I wanted to give her to someone else, but I fear she's hung out with me too long and I've grown attached.”

The two caught each other up on what had happened in their lives, Toffee was shocked to see Ramona almost taller than him, he would not be surprised if Ramona decided to pick him up out of the clear blue sky. When she told him of her farm she had started, Toffee immediately asked to help.

“I don't need to be paid! Well, maybe just with scraps of food for Emma and I…”

“Nonsense! We’ll pay off, of course, you could even live with us!”

“Us?” Toffee looked curiously at Ramona.

“Oh, the young man who is courting me, Benjamin, we live in our own small cottages by the farm. Hopefully, in two years we’ll be married and our house together will be built.”

“You never told me that you were being courted! That's great!” Toffee laughed, “Although I wouldn't want to live in the same cottage as you, I'd rather build my own.”

Toffee was scared, he was not going to endanger Ramona and her boyfriend for him. Should someone discover Emma was a princess, or should the monsters figure out Toffee hadn't gone along with their plan, they would be furious.

“Well okay then,” Ramona stood up and brushed off her skirt, “We should get going, I don't want Ben to worry!”

With that, they walked towards Ramona's home. A fire had torn them apart, and a fire had brought them together.

Emma and Ramona talked a great deal and they made a list of all the things they would need. Ramona had some money in her pockets and knew it was enough for what she needed, but she handed the pile of coins over to Emma to let her count them as well. Emma needed to know how things worked in a village, no matter how Toffee tried to shelter her from it. Ramona taught her travelling games as well while on the road. They tried to spot different animals, name different plants, tell wacky stories and soon Emma could smell the bread baking, she could hear the children laughing, she could feel the energy in the forest change. 

"Ramona I can see the smoke! Hurry!" 

Ramona giggled and walked a little faster, holding the ecstatic girl's hand as the village grew closer.

As soon as she entered the village square she was overcome with sensations. The smell of the food, the look of the people, the sounds of the chatter. She stayed close to Ramona as she guided her to a bakery stand. Emma read books and heard stories from Toffee and knew how to talk to other people but she figured it was best to keep silent. This village had only a few monsters in it, it seemed most of them were travelers or traders. While Ramona talked with the owner of the bakery stand, Emma couldn't help but zone out and start to walk away. She walked over to a flower stand and smelled them deeply. They smelled different than the ones that grew near her house.  
She walked over to a few farm animals in a fenced area, they were unlike the animals she had at home or had seen in the forest. She felt a whoosh of air go past her and turned to see several little children playing tag. It was adorable. She loved seeing the kids play, then the kids ran in her direction and she quickly backed away.

"Oh!" 

She ran straight into someone while her head was turned, the impact made her hood fall and she looked up to see a frightening monster.

"I'm so so so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." Emma began to put her hood back on but the monster grabbed her arm.

"You remind me of someone-" his rough voice terrified poor Emma and she was visibly shaking.

"Well I dunno how that could be-"

"Emma!" Ramona walked up to her and firmly placed a protective hand on her shoulder, "is there a problem here sweetie?"

The monster scowled, "You don't look like her mom."

Ramona smiled at him, this time it wasn't a joyous smile that Emma had enjoyed but it was cold and angry somehow. "Aunt. And I don't believe it's any of your concern."

He huffed and stomped away from them, and Emma was finally released from Ramona's grasp. 

"Ow! You grabbed me like I was a stray chicken Aunt Ramona."

"Sorry babe that freaked me out." It took her a second to catch her breath but she finally held up her satchel with all of their ingredients, "got em all!" 

Emma squealed, "Toffee's birthday cake here we come!"

Ramona laughed with her and they began to march back towards Emma's house. 

But between a house and a bar was an alley. An alley that held the monster who Emma bumped into, and he heard everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments! They really fuel my heart and keep me going! Thank you for any kind words and feel free to add on to this AU, as long as you credit me :).  
> Constructive criticism is much appreciated, I love to hear your insight!


	3. The Human Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma (Star) meets someone while going strawberry picking.

When they finally reached the house there was still plenty of time to bake the cake. Ramona began preparation and Emma could finally rub a majority of the mud off her face. When Emma was done washing, she walked inside only to see Ramona rubbing her head.

"Hey what's up?" She cautiously approached her, ready for anything.

"These contractions drive me crazy, and I just remembered I didn't grab any strawberries. I don't know if we can go to get the strawberries in time."

Emma laughed and hugged Ramona, "You worry way too much you know? I can grab some while you make the cake. Toffee lets me go by the riverbed all the time to pick berries and I just happen to know where the best ones in all of Mewni are."

She was only half lying, Toffee did let her pick berries, but never on her own. 

Ramona smiled and ruffled her hair, "Well then my little hero! Go fetch me the berries!"

She giggled and grabbed her cloak and basket that were by the door and headed on her way.

"Try not to eat too many on your way back!"

She swung her basket around goofily as she whistled a tune she just made up. The whistling turned to humming and the humming turned to singing. She hopped from the bank to rocks on the river, to sticks that floated heavily in the water. Her bare feet scuffed on rough rocks but she didn't mind, she kept signing.

"Strawberry cake, what a wonderful treat!   
A wonderful treat! Yes, a wonderful treat!  
For Toffees eight thousandth birthday!" Emma sang as she skipped from rock to rock, carelessly jumping on an algae rock and feeling herself slip and fall right into the water. 

"Ugh really?" She couldn't help but laugh at herself and her foolishness for a moment. She wasn't going to be mad because that was stupid, so she stood up and began to wring out her dress. Then she heard the unmistakable sound of breaking branches on the other side of the embankment. She froze, not knowing what to do. Then a beautiful blonde and brown stallion jumped out of the bushes, it neighed and bucked, running by her and accidentally throwing its side into Emma and she was thrown back into the water. She quickly swam to the surface, coughing tremendously from the impact of the horse and the sudden intake of water to her lungs. 

"Oh geez, miss I am so sorry,"

Emma had yet to open her eyes when she felt a soft hand grab hers. She was brought to stand and when she could finally wipe her eyes clear she gave the person a good look. It was a boy, about her age, he was decked completely in knight gear that was shiny enough to see her reflection in. He had a babyface, and it didn't help that he had a little mole right by his eye. 

He brought his hand to the back of his neck in embarrassment, still unknowingly holding onto Emma's hand, "I was training nearby and I accidentally spooked Nachos, he totally freaked out and ran off and-" he looked down and saw that his hand was still grasping hers. He quickly let go. "I'm so sorry oh my gosh, this is embarrassing..."

Emma couldn't help but giggle, he was cute, and she desperately wanted to befriend him, she extended her hand to shake. "I'm Emma, I live just down there." She pointed downstream of the river.

"I'm Marco, I live in the kingdom." 

"The kingdom?!" Star's eyes grew wide, Toffee especially did not talk about the kingdom with her, he said it was dangerous there.

"Well yeah, I'm a human though, from earth. I'm a knight. Well, a knight in training? Hopefully, when I'm older I'll be promoted to knight." 

Emma laughed, "I guess so, what does a knight do?"

"Protect the queen, guard treasures, stop thieves, a bunch of stuff."

Emma nodded, quietly feeling jealous that she couldn't spend her time catching thieves and saving the queen. Emma looked down and noticed, to her dismay, that her basket was not with her, "oh no my basket!" She quickly spotted it floating down the river slowly and before she could run to get it, Marco sprang into action. Using his sword to pick it up by the handle and heave it out of the water. He returned it to her. 

"What were you doing over here anyway, Emma? With your empty basket." 

"Picking some strawberries." She lifted her skirt and began to wade across the river, to her side of the bank where Nachos was now grazing peacefully, “I could ask you the same thing, the kingdom’s quite a distance from here isn't it?”

"I try to train as far away from anyone I know, its kind of embarrassing to practice alone. All the other kids in the class have sparring partners... As for the strawberry picking, id love to join you but-" Marco's stomach grumbled loudly, interrupting him. 

"If you join me you can eat some berries too-" Emma laughed, looking at Marco's hungered expression.

"Oh yes please."

The strawberry field was only thirty feet away. And once they reached it, Marco began to stuff a few in his mouth.

"Slow down there knight! Save some for picking!"

"Sorry," Marco sheepishly backed off before Emma elbowed him hard in the side, "I'm kidding! There's plenty of berries here. Enjoy, Marco." 

With no time at all passing, Marco and Emma had filled the basket to the brim. Then they sat and ate a few for themselves, just talking. 

"What else does a knight get to do?" Emma leaned her arm into the grass, fascinated by all this kingdom stuff.

"Oh It's awesome, I got a sword, a shield, a horse, I get to follow the king and queen around." 

"Wow. That sounds fun."

"You should apply! We're always looking for recruits! It would be so fun!"

Emma gasped, thinking about it, she wanted so desperately to, she could work with people and do good and fight. Toffee and she had never given much thought to her future, she wasn't even sure Toffee would ever let her move out, "Oh no I couldn't-"

Marco gasped, sitting up, "I forgot the best part! You get to attack monsters!"

That sentence hit Emma like a poisoned arrow, why was that the best part? Do people regularly attack monsters for fun? 

"In what way is that the best part? That's horrid!"

"Emma I'm-"

"Monsters deserve to be treated the same as any Mewman! I don't get it! What is everyone's problem?"

Marco looked at Emma as if she had grown heads, "you don't know?"

Now it was Emma's turn to look strangely, "know what?" 

He sighed, pulling out his sword to cut a moldy part of a strawberry off, "the king and queen have hundreds of knights, for guarding. This awful thing happened almost sixteen years ago..."

"What happened?"

"The queen had just had her baby two months before, the kingdom had finished the whole ceremony of celebration for the birth of a princess. I think I was a month old then? Maybe older. But when the king and queen were asleep, someone broke into the castle and stole the princess."

Emma gasped quietly, "what does that have to do with monsters?"

"Well the princess, her name was Star, was kidnapped by a monster. The queen woke up as he smashed open the window, she tried to stop him but he magically disappeared."

"Whoa. That's so sad!" Emma reached for a strawberry.

"I know, my dad was very invested in the whole situation," Marco reached for a strawberry. 

The two kids' hands accidentally touched and Emma quickly withdrew, looking at her now blushing self in Marco's armor. Except she wasn't blushing, oh no! Her hearts!

Emma quickly covered her face with her hands but she couldn't cover the glow of the marks.

"What's that?" He asked, pointing to her cheeks.

"Nothing! It's just a really bad skin condition!" Emma stood up, turning away from him and picking up the berries in one arm.

"Are you okay? Do you need help?"   
He stood as well.

"No! I got it! I need to get home now!" Emma started to run.

"Wait! When can I see you again?" He called out, surprised that she turned around with both hands still covering her cheeks.

"Tomorrow! Right here!"

And with that, she was gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I love you all so much! stay home stay safe!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I have been scared to upload it so I've just been writing chapter after chapter. I have a lot more coming! Please tell me how I did and offer any constructive criticism you have. :)


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